The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-11-26
From Harper's Weekly.l

From Harper's Weeky.1
By curious coincidence the demo-
cratic plan of the late campaign brought I
into Ohio, on the democratic side,
Governor Gordon, of Georgia, who
was conspicuous confederate officer,
and W no had recently spoken in very
extrayagant strain of Jefferson Davis.
His arrival gave new fury to the
canvass. 1t was announced as "rebel
invasion" of Ohio, and whatever could
influence angry feeling was invoked to
secure a republican victory. In the
light oil to-day and OF the actual con-
dition of the country the republican
campaign was exceedingly comical. 1t
was an opera boufe canvass. But the
essential question suggested by the
phrase, "rebel invasion," to describe
the appearance of a political orator
| from another state is very significant.
| Nothing is more common than such an /
appearance. In the year of presiden-
tial election distinguished speakers are |
summoned into the doubtful states |
from every part of the union, and even
in what is called An of year their |
services are often solicited. In the late |
campaign in New York Senator Allison
made speeches, and Senators Sherman
and Hale were invited to speak. IT all
the republican senator's in the country
had traversed the state it would have
been nothing new or remarkable, nor
would the democrats have been sur
prised. nor would they have complain
ed.
The invitation of noted democrats
from other states to speak in Ohio was
therefore not an unusual proceeding.
But it was resented as in some way an
outrage upon the citizens of that state.
; And why? General Gordon was
governor of one of the states OF the
union. He had recently been senator
of the United States. He lay under
no kind OF disability. But he had been
confederate officer, rebel. YET, land
: so MIR. Orr and Mr.. Key and Generals
Mosby and Longstreet had been rebels.
But they were all honored aud trusted
by republican administrations, and one
II of them had sat in republican cabinet.
If to have been a rebel disqualified a
e man from taking part i'll an election
u in Ohio, how was it that to have been
= making laws i'll the senate and execut-
because the republican party wisely
declared at the end OF the war, that d
man may have been a rebel, and still q
man of honor and worthy of confidence
Because the party wisely held that
notwithstanding his part in the clvi
war, he could be trusted to sit in con
D, gress and to advise the president, and
because the republican party did no
o | hot IN hnG hal w a,
to be permanently all enemy of thu
union and all unwearied conspirato
W against the national welfare. If there
has ever been, in the sense in which
the words were lately used in Ohio
r sa rebel invasion'' it capture,
the republican president, Grant
when he appointed Mr.. Or
,s. minister 10 Russia, and the republican
he president, Hayes, OF Ohio, when h
appointed Mr.. Key pOstmaster-genera
o. If rebels are in Office anywhere, it
because the republican party permitte
it. If public officers who were rebe
n come to Ohio to speak, it js because tn
republican party opened the way.
H. rebels are in the saddle, it 10 becaui
"S the republican party knew that the
had ceased to be rebels, and were {
good citizens as any others. For
ht, such be not the fact, nothing coul
;. have demonstrated such comple
,,I "I incapacity 10 administer the govern
ment as to have made it possible for
,rt, enemies to control it.
The cry of rebel invasion because
tie democrat from Georgia comes
address democrats in Ohio is the Ia
desperate effort to carry an election
: 10 all appeal to passions which have
longer any reason and are fast e1pirin
1t is cry totally unworthy of
ost' patriotic party and of honorat
- American citizens. One great need
the country is, not sectional a
traditional prejudice, which wOu
keep orators from the southern sta
out of northern states, and northe
orators from speaking in Carolina a
Mississippi, thus fostering and prolol
ing the old and perilous section
alienation, but the freest discussion
all public questions everywhere i'll
country by orators from every sta
The effort to maintain this alienati
and to profit by it is one of the wo
aspects of the republican policy.
the eve of the election an Ohio repl
now, lican, who proposed to support
low. whole ticket because the state admir-
tratiUu had been honest and etfici
ie, said publicly in print of the sectio
aud tree hisky national policy of
republicans -
"The excuse for this is that in pla
r; south The negro IS not permitted
Vo;e. These leaders know perfeC
well that under like circumstances Il
would not let the negro vote i'll Oh
The presence of a few muattO child
ia in the schools III Ohio has evoked
explosion of the meauest form of +
hate. What would take place if
black children were as two to one
'iH the whites? What would take pl
=, in this state If two thirds of cou
were ignorant field hands? Wo
IUcy be permitted to rule!
ibolitiunist sought the freedom
he black man, not 10 make him mas
' The race problem is difficult G
Many wise and good men in the nc
thought that the two races could
live i'll peace together, both free. ]
rson; problem the south is solving bet
than any one anticipated. lived
the south with slavery. In rec
yeats have spent my summers i'll
gesry old slave state. | have travelled
tensively in the south. And in
opinion the negro laborers i'll the so
are better off than the white labor
opv,. in Cincinnati. The negro in II
respects is treated better south thai
il in Cincinnati. In the south l
whites and blacks playing base
nNee together. Do you do that in Gin,
.sttar u, naii. AS an Old abclitionist | rel
TO see the south doing so well with
nero. The union and abolition
ih -rcRre; 90, in my opinion, this
,Islf break vi sectional resentment i'll [